Apple, Harvard and more team with US gov to make futuristic flexible wearables

28Aug

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has announced that Apple will be joining over 160 companies and universities to help develop flexible gadgets that can be worn by soldiers or used on warships.

According to Reuters, Apple will be joining the likes of Boeing and Harvard in the FlexTech Alliance, which will be made up of a total of 162 companies, universities and groups.

The US Air Force Research Laboratory will be managing the FlexTech Alliance, which will contribute $90 million to the project.

The US government is set to contribute US$75 million over five years, while local governments will also be adding funds, with the total FlexTech fund to add up to US$171 million.

What is FlexTech?

Defense officials say that the technology, which is expected to be made using high-end 3D printing tech, will basically be stretchable electronics that can be embedded with sensors, according to the report.

The stretchable tech could be worn by soldiers, or even used on jets or ships to monitor their structural integrity in real-time.

The FlexTech Alliance will be based in the new Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Hub, which will be located in San Jose, California.